Chapter One: Return To The Mountain

(Memento Mori)

***

"Hey, Jordan, are you ready to go? We need to catch our flight."

Jordan looked up, staring at Mateo. "Huh?"

Instead of looking annoyed, Mateo was compassionate as he dropped the suitcase he was holding and walked over to her, taking Jordan by the arms. "Jordan, querida, we don't have to go back. We can just stay here and—"

"No. No, if everyone else is going back, then it doesn't seem right not going back as well. Especially today," Jordan interrupted, smiling even as her eyes shuttered.

"You sure?"

"Positive."

Mateo looked at her, before he accepted her answer. "Okay. But if you feel uncomfortable, then we'll go back down and rebook another ticket back to Toronto. You're more important to me."

Jordan smiled, pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Thanks. What did I do to deserve having an amazing boyfriend like you?"

"Just by being your awesome, beautiful self," Mateo replied, kissing on the forehead before he picked up the suitcase that held both of what they needed as Jordan grabbed the carry-on bags, before he asked, "Jordan, did you remember to take your meds today?"

"Yeah," Jordan answered. "Right this morning. But thanks for reminding me."

"Always will," Mateo replied right as Jordan kissed him before she checked her carry-on bag, seeing a bottle of Buspar in there. She probably wouldn't need it, but it helped manage her anxiety and her attacks, especially since over the year they'd gotten worse.

A lot worse since the disappearance of Hannah and Beth Washington.

Don't think about them. Please, don't think too much about them. About what you could have done if you just followed them and brought them back, that if you did they could be alive and okay and Josh wouldn't be retreating into himself and you wouldn't be spiralling as bad as you did since your mom died, don't think, don't think don't think don't THINK—

"Jordan? Are you stuck, querida?"

Blinking her eyes, Jordan looked into the concerned gaze of Mateo and answered, "A little. But I'm okay. Thank you, for pulling me out."

"Always will," Mateo replied softly, kissing her forehead before moving away. "You ready, queirda?"

Jordan nodded. "Let's do this."

Keeping a firm grip on the carry-on bags, she and Mateo left their apartment, Mateo locking it behind him, before they walked out and headed to their car, loading it up before Mateo drove to the airport and put it in the parking lot before getting out and passing through the gate and security checkpoints, barely making it onto the plane just in time.

Jordan took the middle seat—she hated heights—while Mateo took the window, squeezing her hand in comfort as the four-hour journey from Toronto, Ontario to Calgary, Alberta began.

And then, a whole bus-ride journey back to the site where Beth and Hannah Washington disappeared one year ago on this very day, never to be seen or heard from again and quietly presumed dead despite still being reported as missing.

Blackwood Mountain.

***

When the plane landed and Mateo and Jordan got out, recovered their luggage and made their way to the bus stop, a familiar face was waiting for them.

"Hi, Sam," Jordan greeted, hugging the blonde.

"Hey, Jordan. Mateo," Sam greeted back, hugging the couple as she smiled at them.

"Waiting for the bus?" Mateo questioned.

"Yep. Guess you two will be joining me," Sam noted.

"Guess so. Hope we don't make you a third wheel or anything," Jordan quipped, smiling.

Sam snorted. "Please, the bus driver and anyone else will be there. Hardly a third wheel."

"True," Jordan conceded, and they all chuckled before Sam looked at Jordan, concern in her face.

"How're you holding up?" she asked.

"I'm... doing okay. I'm on medication, and that helps with the attacks and the general anxiety. Having Mateo and Emily and you and Chris and Matt as a support system also helps. Plus, med school is draining and so is Ontario Tech and doesn't really give us much time, but we make it work, when we can. Find whatever time we have and spend it together," Jordan answered, taking Mateo's hand and linking their fingers together.

Mateo smiled before he kissed her head and whispered, "I'll always make time for you, Jordan."

"And I for you," Jordan murmured back, returning the kiss.

"Aww, you guys are so sweet. When's the wedding again?" Sam asked teasingly.

Mateo flinched as Jordan laughed. "Sorry, no wedding yet. Like I said, we don't have much time for us, much less for a wedding. Gonna wait until it's all over before we tie the knot."

"Yeah, no I get that," Sam said, smiling, before a rumble sounded. "Oh! Our bus is here."

Jordan and Mateo looked, seeing indeed the bus was there.

"That didn't take long," Jordan noted before she looked at Mateo. "You okay? You looked nervous when Sam mentioned us getting married."

"Yeah, no, I'm fine. Just got a little freaked," Mateo answered, before hurriedly adding, "Not about us getting married! I'd love to spend my future with you. I just, y'know—Uh... I—"

"Relax. I understand what you mean," Jordan assured, kissing Mateo before she walked toward the bus, Mateo following as he opened his carry-on and checked his surprise was still in there before he joined on, the couple sitting a seat behind Sam as others filled the bus up before it pulled away from the airport and drove away.

Jordan looked out the window, taking in the changing scenery as the bus dropped people off, extending the trip into another few hours until it finally made the journey to the mountain. As it did, Jordan questioned, "Hey, Sam, did you hear from Josh? Is he okay?"

"Uh? Oh, he's fine. Or, he sounded fine the last time I talked to him and when he sent that video out to us about inviting us all back to the lodge on the anniversary," Sam answered.

"Oh. Okay," Jordan murmured, leaning back as Mateo wound an arm around, the brunette fiddling with the rings around her necklace. No rings adorned her fingers—she was even more paranoid about losing her rings, losing the two rings she'd received as heirlooms from her mother and grandmother, both passed, the three rings that were gifts from Emily, the four rings she'd seen in thrift shops and bought for herself, and the promise ring Mateo had given her on their graduation than she already had been. They meant everything to her, and the thought of losing them made the breath short in her chest and her heart race and her hands shake and grow clammy. And after last year, the thought of losing them made the anxiety about it worse.

But Mateo was always there, to assure and comfort her, to give her chain necklaces to slip them on, to just be there for her and not be turned away from the anxious, guilt-ridden, overthinking and study-consumed mess she was. And she returned it—he had guilt as well, guilt over if he should have stopped at least Josh from going after his sisters, guilt that had Jordan comfort him and assure him it wasn't his fault, that no one could have known they would just vanish. It had been the whim of nature, after all.

They were each other's rock, had supported each other through the ups and downs, through the attacks and guilt-ridden sobs and the therapy sessions. And Jordan liked to think they were the more stronger from it.

Honestly, Jordan couldn't imagine anyone else to be there for her, to be her partner, than the man sitting right next to her.

Jordan rested her head against Mateo's shoulder as he wordlessly offered his earbuds. Jordan let him, before she smiled when she heard what was playing—their playlist, the songs that were just them as a couple.

As their song, Ours, played, Jordan smiled as she rested her eyes right as the song changed from Ours to Eres Tú, Mateo still holding her.

When she reopened her eyes, it was sinking into night, they were on the road along the mountain and Sam was listening to something.

Gently tugging the earbud out of her ear, Jordan looked at Sam and she offered up her earbud, letting Jordan hear what was coming through.

"Today is the one-year anniversary of the dreadful tragedy that took place on Mount Washington," a male voice reported.

At the words, Jordan's breath felt trapped in her lungs, a buzzing sensation rising in her head, her heart beating quicker as her mouth dried. No, no, she couldn't think about that, couldn't think about the twins, not even today, she couldn't, couldn't, couldn't—

A squeeze from her hand had Jordan startle and look at Mateo, looking at her as he gave her hand another squeeze. The action, the feel of Mateo's hand holding hers, grounded Jordan as she breathed in and out, trying to quell the anxiety threatening to consume her whole, as she kept listening to what was being reported about Hannah and Beth Washington.

"... Annie Cline was in charge of the investigation."

"Thanks for having me, Marty," a female voice spoke, the voice familiar to Jordan—she'd heard Sheriff Cline talk during the search parties, where they spent hours combing the mountain looking for the twins. Her voice was something that would never leave Jordan's memory—not for as long as she lived.

"What're you listening to?" Mateo mouthed to her.

"An interview about Hannah and Beth's disappearance," Jordan mouthed back. At that, understanding dawned before he looked at her in concern, Jordan shaking her head. She was fine—she had a year to accept that they were gone, to heal. She was doing okay. She was fine.

She listened as static scrambled the reporter's words before the next ones came in clear, "... listeners an update on Hannah and Beth Washington, the twins who are still missing."

"One year ago tonight, the Washington girls left the safety of their parents' lodge and headed out into a snowstorm," Sheriff Cline explained, all information Jordan knew—after all, she witnessed it happen a year ago. 

Static garbled the words—the reception was getting shittier—before the final two words of the reporter's question was spat out through the static.

"... foul play?"

Jordan stiffened as she looked at Mateo. She knew he suspected foul play—in his mind, girls didn't simply vanish, not even in snowstorms. He remembered Jordan's words about seeing someone before Hannah and Beth ran out into the snowstorm and never came back and, using whatever rudimentary forensic skills he picked up in college, he threw himself into studying everything he could about a potential suspect in their disappearance, even making a conspiracy board about it. Jordan had to make him stop when it was clear guilt was driving him forward, that it was doing more harm than good, and therapy helped him even more. Still, Jordan always had a feeling he still suspected the twins weren't simply gone, but were instead dead. That they had been murdered.

Jordan liked to think they were still alive, as futile as that was. It comforted her and eased her guilt and anxiety to believe that lie.

"Not officially, no. There's one individual we're considering as a person of interest but his whereabouts are currently unknown," Sheriff Cline answered, surprising Jordan—they had a suspect? She listened as the sheriff explained further, "He has an interesting history with the Washington family. He had warned them against pursuing their construction project and claimed the land was sacred to his forefathers."

"You know, there is still the old Sanatorium on the mountain. Could he be hiding there?" the reporter questioned.

"My officers did search the grounds, but the girls themselves couldn't have made it that far," Sheriff Cline responded.

"Something about that mountain seems to breed tragic events," the reporter mused.

"More than you know, Marty," Sheriff Cline replied.

Jordan frowned. What did that mean? What other tragic events happened on the mountain? She'd have to ask Mateo—he loved looking into this type of thing, he'd probably have an idea about it.

"Well, thank you for joining us, Annie," the reporter thanked, before continuing, "To all the Washingtons tonight, their son, Josh, on this, the anniversary of the mysterious disappearance of Hannah and Beth Washington."

At that, Jordan saw the screen change to the video Josh had all sent them, and she pulled her earbud out and returned it to Sam—she didn't need to listen to that again. The words were ingrained in her brain. And she had a more pressing question, anyway.

Turning to Mateo, Jordan questioned, "Hey, honey, what other events happened on the mountain?"

"Oh. Did they talk about it?" Mateo asked. Jordan nodded.

"Well, there was the whole Sanatorium business. And I think something happened involving the mines—some miners died. And..." Mateo explained, voice training off as a pained look came over his face. Jordan understood, holding his arm and squeezing it.

"It'll be okay," she comforted. "Tonight will be a good night where we can just remember them. Where we can just try to heal."

Mateo looked at her, a strange look on his face, before he nodded.

"Yeah. A chance to heal," he agreed, taking her hand and squeezing it. "A good night."

He held her as she leaned against him for the rest of the ride, Jordan watching the dark pines and firs blur past, giving the mountain it's eponymous name as night slowly descended, flurries of snow drifting past and making the mountain looking like a magical winter wonderland, like it come straight from a fairytale.

But a fairytale could not hide the tragedy embedded inside the mountain, that seemed to fall upon it like the snow raining down from the gunmetal sky, weak light shifting down from the heavy clouds before it would be banished by the night. Before the dark and the cold would full descend, just like that night one year ago.

Finally, the bus stopped at the wooden gate and gatekeeper's cabin, the sign Blackwood Pines swaying slightly in the wind. Jordan got out first, holding her carry-on and the suitcase while Mateo held his, following Sam as they got out and stood before it, Jordan staring up at the mountain, the peak disappearing into the sky and the clouds, the lodge nowhere to be seen. Only a cable car could get them that far up to the mountain.

Jordan tightened her hold on the bag and the suitcase, breathing in and out.

She was back. She was back here a year after Beth and Hannah had disappeared. She was back and hopefully it would be healing, for all of them.

And, hopefully, no more tragedy would occur tonight.

***

Oh, Jordan. If you only knew...

Yeah Jordan and Mateo are going through it. They're in a better headspace than they were a year ago, but the disappearance still affects them. It worsened Jordan's anxiety and her panic attacks enough that she needed medication, Mateo was consumed by guilt and the thought that someone was involved in the twins' disappearance or had murdered them to the point it was severely affecting his mental health and they both needed therapy, but they're doing better. They're doing okay (unlike certain people...), but oh boy, is the trauma of tonight gonna affect them (especially poor Jordan, even though she is gonna be a badass. They're both gonna be badass)

But yeah, they're back at the mountain! And what kind of surprise does Mateo have in store for Jordan? >;)

Next chapter should be soon!

Please read, comment and vote!

GhostWriterGirl out!